iOS 11 comes with a huge list of new features. Apple announced its latest and greatest iOS 11 with a whopping list of new features, improvements, and user interface changes. iOS 11 for iPhone, iPad, and the iPod Touch is a major software update so in this post, we are going to cover all the new features of iOS 11. Hit the jump to learn more about new iOS 11 features.
While iOS 11 brings awesome new features for the iPhone, the company has paid special attention to the iPad lineup in its iOS 11 software update. With the new features such as new Dock, File app, Drage & Drop, and many other features Apple is really trying to make iPad a true productivity device to have. Another powerful addition to iOS 11 is the augmented reality for games and apps.
Also, check out: iOS 12 Features – What’s New
Here are most of the new features that Apple introduced in iOS 11 software update:
iPad Specific Features
Apple has added a ton of new features for the iPad devices. We have created a dedicated post to cover all the best features that Apple has added in iOS specifically for the iPad. Here are the iPad-specific features:
Best iOS 11 features for the iPad
Messages
With the Messages app in iOS 11, Apple has introduced a new way to share stickers emoji, and games with your friends. Things have become more accessible with a new app drawer that appears at the bottom of the Messages app.
iMessages in iOS 11 stays in-sync across all your devices. It means if you delete a message from one device, it disappears from all your Apple devices using the same ID. iOS 11 also has optimized storage and end-to-end encryption.
Person-to-Person Payments
Another main feature of iOS 11 is Person-to-Person payments through Apple Pay. The feature is integrated within iMessages.You can send and receive payments from family and friends while chatting with them through iMessage. The money received will go into your Apple Pay cash card. You can shop online, send money to someone, or transfer it to your bank account from there.
The process is secure and instant for sending or receiving money within the Messages app. The feature is intelligent enough to recognize the dollar amount and suggest sending money if someone messages you, “You owe me $20!”
Siri
Apart from being available in more languages and more countries, the Siri is now more expressive and with more natural voice. In iOS 11, Apple has given Siri more natural, less robotic tone for both female and male voices.
Siri in iOS 11 can translate a phrase from one language to another. Ask Siri inEnglish to say something in Chinese, Spanish, French, German, or Italian, and Siri will exactly do that.
With iOS 11, Siri can predict what you are going to do next and makes suggestions. Siri now uses on-device learning and learns about you on one device and it is synced across all your devices. Sirikit in iOS 11 is also capable of secure task management, take notes in Evernote, chat with WeChat, Citymobile banking, and much more.
Camera
With iOS 11, the Apple has introduced a new type of format that keeps the video at the same quality as earlier while keeping the size at half of the previous. This means the new HEVC format is 2 times better at compression. Apple has also introduced HEIF file format for photos. This new file format reduces the photo size to half with twice the quality. Both of these new iOS 11 features helps is saving storage space. New filters make Portrait mode more expressive.
Photos App
With iOS 11, you will be able to watch you Memories in portrait mode. You can trim, select, loop, mute, rewound, and much more with the Live Photos. You now have the option to select a specific frame from the Live Photo and set it as the first image you see when you tap/look at it. iOS 11 also allows users to change long exposure on a photo.
Control Center
Control Center has been revamped in iOS 11. You can now easily customize and redesign Control Center as per your liking. It has become a single-page design. It now shows controls for Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, orientation, screen mirroring, and so much more, but also shows some more features such as volume and what you’re listening. You can use 3D Touch in Control Center to unlock even more commands.
Maps
Apple has added indoor maps and lane guidance to its Mapps application with iOS 11. With the help of indoor maps, you can explore and shop at major malls. Maps for major airports such as Amsterdam, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Dubai, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Nashville, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, and so many others has also been added.
A new navigational tool called Lane Guidance helps users to not miss a turn or an exit by showing what lane the user should be in while navigating their way through traffic. The Maps in iOS 11 also shows the speed limit in the lane the user is driving in.
Do not disturb while driving
Apple has added a new Do not Disturb while driving feature in iOS. This new feature senses you speed and enables itself to prevent any notifications from appearing on your Lock screen. It helps in distraction-free driving and user can choose to automatically notify the person calling or texting that you’re driving.
When the Do not Disturb mode is active your iPhone display will go black. If you tap on the screen to wake it up, it will remind you that you’re driving. If the message needs to get through, the sender can reply with “urgent” and it will get pushed through.
Apple Music
With iOS 11, Apple Music has also been improved. You can now find out what your friends have been listening to. All the users get their own profile on Apple Music, where users can see playlists they have shared, stations and albums they have been listening to.
App Store
With iOS 11, the App Store also gets a revamp. The new App Store has a dedicated tab to suggest you the apps and games you would want to try next.
- Today: A new tab that will have an app of the day, a game of the day, and a list of the day.
- Games: A new tab that will feature a chart showing the popularity of the games.
- Apps: A dedicated tab only for the apps. You’ll find everything about apps here without any mention of the games.
- App Store cleanup.
- Faster app review time.
HomeKit
HomeKit gets support for the speakers through Airplay 2 protocol. It means you can now access AirPlay-compatible speakers through the Home app and control what plays on which speaker throughout your home. A friend of yours can also contribute to the playlist without interrupting the current song via Shared Up Next. Third-party apps can also make use of this features.
Quick and Easy Setup
iOS 11 has also added a handy new feature related to setting up the device. Simply hold you new iPhone or iPad new an existing iOS device or a Mac that you own, and let the magic happen. It will transfer your personal settings, preferences, iCLoud Keychain passwords to you new device quickly and securely.
Machine Learning (ML)
A new set of APIs: vision tracking, natural language API, and more makes the powerful machine learning very easy. All these APIs are built on Core ML.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Apple has also introduced ARKit with the largest set of APIs for iOS 11. With ARKit, the camera of your iPhone will be able to scan the surrounding and add digital objects to the real world environment. For instance, you can add a cup of coffee to a table or a lamp. You can turn the lamp on or off and move the position of the cup, the shadows change like they would in the real world.